You’ve still got five days to decide whether or not to change health insurance company.  Next year health premiums are rising by an average of around €11 a month, but you can save money in several ways – by moving to a new insurer, cutting back on supplementary insurance or making a few tweaks to your coverage.

If I do nothing, what happens?

First of all, take a look at your current provider to find out what you will be paying next year. You can find an overview of all 70 health insurance policy prices here and you could save as much as €433 if you move from the most expensive to the cheapest policy.

However, if you do nothing and you use a lot of physiotherapy, or expect to, you could be in for a shock. Research by comparison website Zorgwijzer suggests that you may well be entitled to fewer sessions next year, particularly if you are an Achmea client.

Less physiotherapy

Zilveren Kruis clients with a 4 star package, for example, will only be entitled to 32 sessions in 2025, compared with 36 this year. More than that, your own contribution will cost you more because the insurance company is paying a smaller percentage of the cost.

VGZ and CZ are also reducing the amount they will contribute towards physiotherapy sessions, so you could be better off with ONVZ, a.s.r. and DSW.

Some insurance companies are increasing their fees for supplementary policies covering physiotherapy, while others are adding a fee for additional sessions once you have already had 10, says Zorgwijzer’s Koek Kuijper. “This is something we have not seen before.”

Just five insurance companies are now offering coverage for more than 30 sessions a year, while in 2023, you had a choice of 18.

So how else can you cut down on the cost?

If you expect to have less than €385 in basic costs next year, or if you can miss a total sum of €885 in case something unexpected happens, it might be worth going for the maximum own risk payment. Increasing the deductible will cut your premiums by around €20 a month.

So, once you’ve worked out what you need, use Zorgwijzer’s comparison tool in English and compare the different elements, such as price per month, coverage and customer satisfaction.

Think too about cover for while you are abroad, or back home in your country of origin, or if you would like to have the option of being treated in another country should you need a major operation. And if you are planning a winter sports holiday, check out what you are covered for as well.

Check out the choice.

If you do need treatment, will you be happy with just any hospital or do you want to see a specific doctor? Or do you always want to choose your own healthcare provider? If the latter is true, pay special attention to the health care provider choice options included with your plan. Not all policies cover all doctors or hospitals.

If you don’t want to actively check whether a provider is within the insurer network, you may want to choice a more extensive basic policy with a very broad health choice. This is called a combinatiepolis in Dutch.

Some 82% of the Dutch have some form of top-up policy to cover extra treatment not included in the basic package, but decide first if these are things you really need. If your teeth are in good condition, for example, dental insurance could well be a waste of money.

Are there any extra services you can get?

Health insurance companies try to go to great lengths to distinguish themselves from each other. So check whether you can profit from certain extra services like a personal health check up, discounts at gyms and health clubs or free accident insurance.

For example, a.s.r. offers a free physical health check at BENU when you take out supplemental insurance, while CZ and Nationale Nederlanden provide discounts at SportCity.

Remember, basic health insurance for the under-18s is free, so be careful about offers which suggest a special deal for kids. The same goes for “expat” insurance. The government decides what is covered in the basic healthcare package and the difference between insurers is basically about how much choice you have about where to get treated.

Take a decision and make the switch

Around one million people switch health insurers every year, so you are not alone if you decide to do so. And remember, if you have a partner, you don’t need to go for the same policy – it all depends on what is right for you.

If you take out a new health insurance before January 1, your new insurance company will make sure your old plan is automatically cancelled and your new plan will start on January 1.

You always have a 14 day reflection period in which you can cancel your decision for free and at no cost. Check out Zorgwijzer for the best deals